Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writin - Jennifer Weiner I've enjoyed a couple of Weiner's books, but more than her storytelling, I reallyHungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writin - Jennifer Weiner I've enjoyed a couple of Weiner's books, but more than her storytelling, I really admire her activism. I lost patience with people ragging on women's writing and writing for women a couple of decades ago. And don't get me started on genre snobbery. I READ POPULAR BOOKS. And so does every highbrow apologist, because the only writings that have survived from previous centuries, let alone millennia, were POPULAR. And it is my belief that writers who worked for pay on deadline, with quick turnaround, are the best.So I remember many of Weiner's efforts to speak out against the quiet, systemic sexism that denigrates what women do as somehow less valuable than men's. Women young through old are responsible for most of the books read and sold in the U.S., but do they get the majority of the bylines, reviews, or awards? No, they don't even get half. VIDA's got the numbers and they're appalling, as is the fact that the worst offenders do not even have to apologize, because who cares? And the most prestige, the most coverage, the most work continues to go to het white men that no one enjoys reading.Anyway, Weiner is funiest when writing of the worst times of her life. Her family is screwed up in mostly charming ways. She is always clear that writing is a job, and for anyone interested in following her advice, she presents a refreshingly clear-eyed training plan. So that's all great. But I love the bits when she is actively fighting for justice: I hope she's proud of that work. I hope her daughters are, too.Library copy...more

I would be curious to see how a young reader reacts to this, because there's a lot here that I expect to appeal primarily to an adult audience. One niI would be curious to see how a young reader reacts to this, because there's a lot here that I expect to appeal primarily to an adult audience. One night, a boy knocks on the door of a cobbler and his wife, a laundress. "I was a rat" he tells them, only three weeks old, and then, suddenly, he was a boy, dressed as a page to nobility. And now he is lost and alone and tired and hungry. Being kind folks, they take him in, and do their best to find out where he comes from, and to whom he belongs. They check with the police, and the orphanage and the school, but no one has reported the boy missing.

Meanwhile, The Daily Scourge newspaper is full of the wedding of the Prince and his new bride, the dress, the redecorating of the castle, the romantic story of how they met at a ball.

The boy, now called Roger is investigated by the Royal Philosopher, and then lost to the streets. He has a number of Dickensian adventures while the kindly couple search for him, and is finally captured as a monster living in the sewers. The press is baying for the extermination of the dreadful monster, the scientists who have examined him have concluded that despite his appearance of a boy he must be something else, and the courts are intervening.

Pullman must have had tremendous fun writing this, satirizing the newspapers, their obsession with royalty, and weddings, and monsters, mocking carnival side shows, fairy tales, and scientists. I was tremendously entertained. It would make an excellent read-aloud, having something in it to amuse every age of reader.

I didn't like this as much of Gaiman's other work because I prefer more humor, as in Anansi Boys. That, and I know I didn't get half of what was goingI didn't like this as much of Gaiman's other work because I prefer more humor, as in Anansi Boys. That, and I know I didn't get half of what was going on.

***

Sixteen years on and I've now read everything Gaiman's written nearly, and I really loved it in a way I didn't before. I noticed more humor this time, and I was more swept up in the Epicness of it all. Also I was less bothered that I didn't recognize most of the gods. Not lighthearted, more melancholy really, but it felt more like Good Omens as well as a lot like Sandman. I'm curious to see the series now.

I handed it off to Veronica as soon as I'd finished. It seems like just the thing to wind up her IB career. She took to it right away.

A complete stranger stops him on the street, thinking he's someone else. then he invites him to lunch. Over a mean in a pub, Brat hears the propositioA complete stranger stops him on the street, thinking he's someone else. then he invites him to lunch. Over a mean in a pub, Brat hears the proposition: after some intensive coaching, he'll appear as the long-lost (presumed drowned) heir to a lovely little horse farm.

The reader knows all along that Brat isn't the heir, that he can't be, and yet such is Tey's skill that one can't help rooting for him every step along the way into being accepted by the family. But it couldn't be that easy, could it?

The climax is a bit rushed, but an epilogue answers most questions. The ones left unanswered are well chosen.

The first two books had photos of people on the cover, with this book the cover concept changed. There may be any number of reasons why this was a gooThe first two books had photos of people on the cover, with this book the cover concept changed. There may be any number of reasons why this was a good choice, but that it eliminates the possibility of yet another person-of-color on a cover annoys me. Not least of which because this book is all about discrimination. Sure, Cassel is discriminated against because he comes from a family of curse-workers, not because of his dark skin, but erasing the parallel to racial discrimination annoys me.

End of that rant. On to the book: loved it. The acknowledgements page at the end is lengthy, and appropriate. I can't help but think that the input of so many people with areas of different expertise and different backgrounds helps make this book as strong as it is. Black manages to tell a compelling caper tale that suggests a deep, rich, fully-imagined world, without having to bog down in the significance of all that. It's always a pleasure to read the work of an author who trusts the reader to take away from it as much as they need, without having to spell everything out.

And I dearly love a good caper story. The plot has good guys and bad guys and at any given moment every one of them could be playing either side. You just never know. The series as a whole is just ridiculously fun without ever feeling stupid or easy. And I really did love the throw away about Beauty Queens. Brava.

Tash took it from my stack and ran off into the night. But what a fun premise. I hope we both like it.

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Once I got it back from her it was a quick reTash took it from my stack and ran off into the night. But what a fun premise. I hope we both like it.

***

Once I got it back from her it was a quick read. We did both like it. A fun range of hoaxes, some deliberate frauds, some money-making schemes, some clever, some desperate. Should have broad appeal to lots of kids. My personal favorite was the to-me unknown saga of the Nazi counterfeiting scheme which turned into another Schindler's List. Well, that and the clever French woman who managed to work around an entrenched class system.

I will note, however, that the art doesn't work very well with the text. Despite the graphic-novel look, there doesn't seem to be a script behind the illustrations, so they interrupt the text in weird ways and don't flow very well.

Such an odd book, but once I got started, I hated to put it down. I think I was expecting something more satirical, a little comic book over-the-topneSuch an odd book, but once I got started, I hated to put it down. I think I was expecting something more satirical, a little comic book over-the-topness. But there's none of that. Jinks plays it absolutely straight: Cadel is a genius, and, it turns out, the son of an evil genius. That's the straightforward bit at the beginning. It just gets darker and more twisted from there. Although Cadel is young, I wouldn't recommend this for middle graders in general. There's way to much mucking-other-people-about, lots of heavy-duty and truly skillful manipulation of folks.

Genius is a popular subject for writers. Most of the don't do it well. Either the character comes across as no brighter than average (Robert Langdon, ugh) or as having uncanny powers of precognition that enable them to consider every possible variable and create an elaborate plot which unfolds perfectly, and therefor is totally unbelievable. But Cadel comes across as believably genius, interested in things that the average reader won't understand. Oddly, for a book that is so realistic, the book it most reminds me of is The Knife of Never Letting Go. I think fans of the one might like the other. Well, I did, anyway....more

Crazy fun to read. Caper stories have such delightfully complicated plots, and the idea of a group of teenage thieves using their amazing skills for gCrazy fun to read. Caper stories have such delightfully complicated plots, and the idea of a group of teenage thieves using their amazing skills for good is so appealing. Throw in a billionaire boyfriend to make everything possible, and you get glamorous settings, as well. That Carter takes the time to provide young readers with a lesson in the cultural looting by Egyptologists is icing on the cake. Buttercream icing on a really tasty cake. And to add sprinkles to the top, there's time enough to muse on such moral quandaries as playing one suitor against another, and how far must one go to make right one's mistakes?

Recommended to fans of Holly Black's White Cat and anyone looking for a fun read.

It was fun. Carter makes things easy for her teenaged heist society by making one of them a parentally-neglected billionaire with a Jeeves-level geniuIt was fun. Carter makes things easy for her teenaged heist society by making one of them a parentally-neglected billionaire with a Jeeves-level genius butler, but why not? As far as I'm concerned, the butler is a drawn in himself. It's fun and clever and the relationships are interesting, and the bit of history thrown in is easy to assimilate. I look forward to reading more by Carter....more

Mye and Clent are grifters, petty conmen, always working the angles. Now they're broke, made to leave Mandelion after fomenting revolution, and tryingMye and Clent are grifters, petty conmen, always working the angles. Now they're broke, made to leave Mandelion after fomenting revolution, and trying to stay away from the people who are trying to kill them. But they're the good guys, and something is seriously wrong in the town of Toll. There's a huge cast of characters, double crosses, triple crosses, twists, turns, confusion on every side. Can a clever twelve-year-old make everything come right when everyone is against her? Of course she can, with a murderous goose watching her back.

Set in an imagined place similar to England at the start of the 18th century. All the intrigue of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, but with a manageable nuSet in an imagined place similar to England at the start of the 18th century. All the intrigue of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, but with a manageable number of words. And a twelve-year-old heroine, and a vicious goose.

I finished up loving FLY BY NIGHT even more. It's always delightful to me to watch a character think, and Mosca puzzles out all the intrigues very well. And, she has moments of great valor. And I love all the secondary developments. And I love Mosca's final decisions so much.

Read it yourself, and recommend it to every kid from nine through twelve. It has a little something for everyone. I hope the Possum likes it, since I handed it off to her....more

Ah. A satisfying tale of a family in a horrific situation: the baby goes missing when all three generations are gathered together for a weekend in theAh. A satisfying tale of a family in a horrific situation: the baby goes missing when all three generations are gathered together for a weekend in the country. Old secrets are brought to light, old issues revisited, tempers are frayed. This book easily packs enough tension for three or four others. This is what happens when you get the whole family together for a weekend without TV or cellphones.

I love clever stories about clever young people forming convoluted plots and tricking people. When an author manages to give me that, Charles DickensI love clever stories about clever young people forming convoluted plots and tricking people. When an author manages to give me that, Charles Dickens as a newspaperman, Sweeney Todd, the drains of London, Jews escaped from the pogroms of Russia (including Karl), a noisome dog named Onan, and more, well, I'm pretty much beside myself with glee through the whole thing. A big old sack of awesome. And now, I've got to get a hold of Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 3.

Still need convincing: not since Dickens has anyone written about slums with the clear understanding that real people do actually live in them, people who get on with their lives as best they can. Contrast this with say The Bonfire of the Vanities with its racism and sexism and general mean-spiritedness.

After a couple of days of being sick and unable to enjoy reading, this was just the ticket. I'm not a huge fan of hateful protagonists, so I love thatAfter a couple of days of being sick and unable to enjoy reading, this was just the ticket. I'm not a huge fan of hateful protagonists, so I love that we get to enjoy all the fun, complicated plotting of a good grift as performed by a truly well-meaning guy. Cassel comes across as a believable guy, unwilling to speak out against prejudice, interested in learning some stuff, canny on ways to cut classes. I loved the twists, turns, and switchbacks of the story, and enjoyed the quieter moments of boarding-school life as well. It made for a nice rhythm to the reading. Recommended to fans of Jaclyn Moriarty, and vice versa.

This is a series with marvelous potential. It's pretty much a hard-boiled story of grifters and the mob, but with magic and boarding school, too. AndThis is a series with marvelous potential. It's pretty much a hard-boiled story of grifters and the mob, but with magic and boarding school, too. And cat, of course. And it works, so well. Cassel at school is a classic outsider, always watching, always trying to make like he fits in. He's a guy from Tobias Wolff. But also, there's his family, the mom in jail (I see her as Angelica Huston from both The Grifters and Prizzi's Honor, with a bit from The Witches, too), the oldest brother who is in the mob. There is so much going on in Cassel's life, it's no wonder he's up on the roof of the dorm with his classmates yelling for him to jump. And that's the beginning.

Black has done a beautiful job. She's created a guy of many dimensions and conflicts, a guy who thinks of a con before any other possible solution to a given problem, and she's made him sympathetic and believable. He lives in a society that is prejudiced against him, not for his dark skin and ambiguous family history, but for the magic. And there's a girl with a hemp bag leading the magic/straight alliance.

And if teen girls are going to be all swoony over someone, better Cassel than a sparkly vampire I could mention....more

So this year my goal is to read one library book, then one Kindle book, then one book off my overstuffed shelves. But I liked Evil Genius so much thatSo this year my goal is to read one library book, then one Kindle book, then one book off my overstuffed shelves. But I liked Evil Genius so much that I immediately moved on to the sequel, which just happened to be sitting there for lo, these many years. At least one year.

***

Loved it. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book. And to try some of Jinks' other books. What's interesting to me, is that I wouldn't recommend it to the Possum, despite how she's read The Hunger Games and that I did recommend The Knife of Never Letting Go to her. All three series deal with children forced to take on big problems and incur a great deal of physical and mental trauma. I suppose the difference is that the Genius series is so cerebral, with relatively little by way of action. Regardless. I loved it....more

Violent as all get out, and rather gory. But I love stories about grifters, and Lynch has written a convoluted one. Fortuitous reading it so soon afteViolent as all get out, and rather gory. But I love stories about grifters, and Lynch has written a convoluted one. Fortuitous reading it so soon after White Cat which shares many themes, but isn't as aggressive. And major props to Lynch for showing a world the in many respects is old-fashioned, but without any of the sexism....more

I recall being told once upon a time that the poet John Gay was an ancestor, and I formed an intention to read something of his. And then there was aI recall being told once upon a time that the poet John Gay was an ancestor, and I formed an intention to read something of his. And then there was a reference to The Beggar's Opera and the Three Penny Opera in something I was reading on the kindle, which made it dead easy to download a copy to satisfy my curiosity.

Meh. Satire doesn't hold up very well over time. Likely a production could be very winning, particularly if filmed by Tim Burton, but the script isn't much, nor terribly amusing. Still, good to fill in that bit of theater history, I suppose.